ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rock — music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com